Cherry
by Cascore
Summary: After Peach saves the life of a human woman named Cherry, she soon finds herself stuck in the crosshairs of seduction, struggling to remain faithful to Mario. Little does she know that a certain Boo is the composer behind the entire scheme.
1. Cherry

**Cascore's Note: Well, as the new year rolls in, I've decided to take up a new serious project. And here it is. It's not the type of story I'm used to writing, so it provides something of a challenge for me, which is pretty fun. Hopefully it'll go over well and you'll enjoy reading the story as much as I enjoy writing it.**

**Generic Disclaimer: I own none of these characters. Except Cherry. The rest of the cast and the locations are property of good ol' Nintendo.**

* * *

"**Cherry"**

"Come on Peach, let your hair down and go out on the town for just one night! It'll be good for you!"

"Oh, I don't know... I have a lot of things to do around the castle."

"Let Toadsworth worry about it! Come oooooon, you know you want to!"

"...Well...alright, what the heck."

"That's my girl!"

That was the simple exchange between Daisy and Peach that urged them to go out and explore Toad Town that night. For the first time in what felt like ages, Peach dressed up in a bright pink T-shirt and a pair of blue jeans that showed off her figure, something she'd forgotten she even possessed after so much time of wearing her usual dress. Daisy accompanied her in similar apparel, only her shirt was yellow and she sported a pair of orange shorts as opposed to jeans.

Who would have guessed that Toad Town had such a vibrant night life? The streets were filled with the happy-go-lucky citizens, walking in and out of stores and visiting each other on the street, sharing casual conversation with smiles on their faces. It seemed like nobody had a care in the world, and, for that night, Peach was able to join them. Daisy convinced her to see that life was more than setting appointments and worrying about what kind of scheme Bowser was cooking up next. She showed Peach just what made Toad Town such a beloved and charming city.

The pair eventually met up with their beaus, Mario and Luigi, who were also dressed casually, ditching their overalls for loose jeans and ridding themselves of their gloves and long sleeved shirts in favor of tees. They also wore their caps a little off to the side, hoping it would help them look more hip, for they rarely seemed to get out themselves. Peach didn't know what to say, but Daisy quickly reassured them that they looked just as fashionable as the rest with a giggle.

The group visited a local outdoor restaurant that overlooked the nearby sea and shared in, for the first time in years, conversation that actually didn't revolve around Bowser's antics and Peach's safety. It was nice. Peach always thought about what it would be like to hold a chat without ever once worrying about the Koopa King, and now it was finally happening. Accompanied by the moon looming brightly over the beautiful silver sea, the night felt perfect. As is continued, she actually didn't want it to end.

Hours later though, as the group finally stood after loitering at their table to continue their talk, everyone had to say their goodbyes and head home. It was late, nearing midnight, and Mario and Luigi rarely stayed up that far into the night as it was. They headed home, and Peach told Daisy to go back to the castle ahead of her, for she wanted to take her time going back to enjoy her last few minutes in the streets of the town. Daisy went ahead and left, allowing Peach to wander as slowly as she pleased.

She looked around with a smile, seeing a few groups of Toads still chatting each other up as they lingered around benches or walked off towards their homes. Even though she lived just a stone's throw away from the town, Peach had no idea that it was so lively. She decided right then and there that she definitely needed to visit it more often from that moment on.

That's when she found her.

As she wandered past an alleyway, she heard something. She didn't know what it was, but it sounded like a voice. She stopped in front of the alley and listened closely. Several seconds of silence passed and the only thing she heard was the distant chatting of a group of Toad friends walking by. She shrugged off the noise and began to continue on her way when she heard it again. And this time, she understood what it was saying.

"Someone...help...me..." a very faint and weak voice muttered. Peach stepped back and looked into it once more. Despite the light illuminating the alleyway a fair distance, Peach could see nothing especially remarkable within.

"Who's there?" Peach called before listening closely, awaiting an answer. A few seconds passed before the voice muttered again.

"...Please..." it said. Peach was now certain she was hearing someone call out and began to step forward nervously. She entered the darkness slowly, looking down at the ground as she went.

She suddenly felt frightened, afraid to find what would be awaiting her. The voice continued to mutter, but it grew incoherent as Peach stepped forward. The alley was much longer than it let on in the beginning and Peach soon found herself edging forward for a full minute in complete silence. It was unnerving, and she soon asked for the voice to speak again.

"Keep talking to me," she said with a slightly shaky voice. When no response came, she tried again. "Please, say something so I can find you."

Silence.

Peach eventually realized that her breathing was growing heavy as she made her way further and further. She was on the edge of turning away and fleeing the alley, but she couldn't bear leaving behind the owner of the voice. Another minute of walking and steady silence and still, she found nothing.

"H-Hello?" Peach called, her will starting to break. Along the way, she felt around with her feet to see if she could find something, anything along the edges of the walls. But there was nothing at all.

Just when she was about to conclude that she truly was hearing things and leave the alley, she finally kicked something, causing her heart to jump. She looked down towards her right foot, trying to see what was there.

Before she could make it out though, she heard a hideously wicked and haunting laugh, almost as if some otherworldly spirit was mocking her. Her pulse quickened rapidly as she looked around feverishly to spot what it was that let out the cackle.

Before she knew it, she felt something bump into her chest before a blinding white light flashed out, illuminating the area for a quick second. Peach fell backward, partly due to the force of the strike to her chest and partly due to the sudden shock of the light. She also heard the sound that was previously laughing at her let out a high pitched squeal as if it were dying.

Peach quickly tried to adjust her eyes and managed to spot a Boo disappearing into the ground, apparently defeated by the light that Peach somehow produced from her chest.

Utterly confused by what was going on, Peach began to try to piece things together. Before she could even begin to wonder what a Boo was doing there though, she heard something groan in pain. The noise was very nearby, sounding as if it were coming from whatever she kicked earlier. Feeling awash with relief, Peach tried to speak to the voice's holder again.

"Are you okay?" Peach asked rhetorically. All she needed was anything for an answer, and fortunately, an answer she received.

"No...please...help me..." the voice said. Now that she was closer, Peach figured that the voice belonged to a woman, possibly human, since it was silky and deeper than the average Toad's voice. Peach concluded she had no time to lose and quickly knelt down to lift the woman up into her arms. She had some trouble carrying the woman, for Peach was never one for lifting much of anything. She toughed it out though and managed to eventually get the distressed individual to the nearby hospital within a matter of minutes.

–

"Well this is odd," the Toad doctor muttered as he scanned his clipboard at the foot of the woman's bed with a hand on his chin. His completely white cap seemed a little unusual to Peach, and his long white coat dragged on the ground behind him. The Toad certainly looked a bit odd, but wondering about him would do nothing to help the situation.

The two were in a resting room at the hospital at three in the morning, discussing the woman's health. Peach knew that everyone back at the castle was worried sick about her by now if they weren't already sleeping, but she couldn't just leave the woman behind.

Now that they were in the light, Peach could see that the woman had blood red hair. She was wearing a slightly dirty red blouse and a long white skirt underneath the bed's sheets.

"What's wrong?" Peach asked from a chair on the opposite side of the room. The doctor looked up at her with a slightly confused expression on his face.

"Well, we found nothing wrong with her exactly," the Toad answered. "But...apparently there's some kind of strange...aura of some sort being emitted from her body."

"An aura?" Peach said, equally confused.

"Yes..." the doctor muttered. "It's outside of the ordinary, but it looks like an exorcism is in order for her..."

"An...exorcism?" Peach said. "She has evil spirits inside of her or something?"

"I'm not entirely sure, but it would seem so," the doctor said, approaching the unconscious woman and lifting up one of her eyelids softly. He recoiled slightly upon seeing a white film over her otherwise red eyes. The film seemed to be alive as it moved similarly to a disturbed pool of water. He let her eyelid close once more.

"Well, it certainly wouldn't hurt to try I suppose," he admitted as he replaced the clipboard to the attachment at the foot of the bed. "Maybe we can convince ol' Merlon to perform it for us. He's likely asleep right now though."

Just before the doctor could finish his sentence, a whooshing noise could be heard as the old Shaman appeared through a burst of clouds. With his blue cloak covering all parts of his body save his large white mustache and his glowing yellow eyes, Merlon turned to face the doctor immediately, who, along with Peach, was staring at him, completely shocked.

"Someone called?" Merlon asked casually, as if he didn't just appear completely out of thin air. A few silent, awkward moments passed before the doctor gathered himself and cleared his throat.

"Um, yes, we were just talking about you Merlon," he explained. The doctor turned to the woman in the bed, causing Merlon to look over as well. "It's this lady. We've concluded that we might need to perform an exorcism on her."

"An exorcism you say?" Merlon asked as he came to the woman's side to look her over a bit more closely. After a while, he nodded, but soon shook his head. "I can feel malicious spirits coming from her, but I doubt an exorcism is within my realm of possibilities."

"Well, you just appeared out of thin air," Peach muttered without meaning for Merlon to actually hear her. He did however and soon turned to her.

"Ah, Princess Peach, it's an honor," he greeted with a bow. Peach quickly stood up and gave a small curtsy in return.

"I don't mean to be rude Mr. Merlon, but if you can teleport like that, it wouldn't seem very farfetched that you could perform an exorcism," Peach explained. Merlon nodded to her.

"Ah, yes, that's quite true," Merlon began. "But you see...I forgot my holy water at home. So, as you can imagine, an exorcism truly cannot be done at this time."

"Can't it be done without the water though?" the doctor asked, causing Merlon to turn back to him.

"Ah, yes, it could," Merlon began again. "But you see...I've yet to learn how to do it without the water. So, if you want to get technical, exorcism is possible, but not if you want me to perform it."

"Ah," both the doctor and Peach said at once. There was another awkward silence as Merlon simply stood there, looking back and forth between the two.

"So...you gonna teleport back to your place for the water?" the doctor asked eventually.

"I would be lucky if I could," Merlon answered. "The fact I managed to make it here on the first try astounds me as it is. A two-fer would be great."

"Well, good luck," the doctor said, growing slightly impatient as Merlon dawdled. Still, Merlon stood however, receiving stares from the doctor and Peach. He suddenly seemed to come to the realization though.

"Oh, you would like me to fetch it now?" he asked, surprising both of the others with how dull he was acting at the moment. They figured he must have been incredibly tired and not in his right mind though. It was three in the morning after all.

"It would be nice," Peach said, trying to keep herself from sounding exasperated. Merlon nodded once more and soon disappeared, leaving behind a small cloud of dust. Just after he left, Peach walked over to where he was previously standing, next to the woman lying in the bed.

The woman's eyebrows were furrowed and she was frowning slightly. Peach lightly moved a finger over her forehead and could feel sweat beginning to erupt. She began to feel even more concerned for the woman.

"Where did you find her?" the doctor asked as he watched Peach. Peach quickly looked up at him, almost forgetting he was even there.

"I don't remember where exactly," Peach began, looking back down at the woman. "But it was deep in an alleyway. She was hunched over on the ground against a wall."

"Did you see anything odd while you were there?" the doctor asked, evidently trying to figure out if anything at the scene could indicate the cause of her condition. Upon first thought, Peach didn't remember finding anything of particular interest, but she soon remembered the Boo.

"I did see a Boo," she answered, looking up at the doctor, whose eyes widened at the mention. "At least, I think I did. It disappeared before-"

The whoosh was heard once more and Merlon popped up in the exact same spot that Peach was standing in. Somehow, Peach was knocked backward rather violently, pushing her into the bed behind her and causing her to trip, roll over it, and fall flat on the floor on the other side.

"I have the holy water," Merlon announced as he turned to the unconscious woman. The doctor quickly rushed to Peach's side as the Shaman placed a hand on the woman's forehead, closed his eyes, and began to chant words that neither of the others could understand. As the doctor helped Peach up to her feet, Merlon lifted his hand and sprinkled a drop of the holy water onto the center of the woman's forehead.

The moment the water made contact, the woman's eyes shot open, exposing her filmed-over eyes. The white film glowed brightly, sending strong beams out as her mouth opened wide, sending out a beam of light as well. Her chest jutted upward and her entire body began to shake erratically. Peach and the doctor looked on in horror while Merlon didn't seem phased.

The intense movement persisted for several seconds and the room filled with screams similar to the one Peach heard in the alleyway just before seeing the defeated Boo. Although it was unseen, it was apparent that the woman was possessed by dozens of Boos that were now being erased all at once.

The scene finally ended and she fell limp once more. Slowly, her eyes and mouth closed at the same time, and now she appeared to be sleeping in peace. The doctor and Peach were stunned for several moments afterward.

"Well, I guess the exorcism worked," Peach said finally. The doctor nodded.

"When you mentioned that you saw a Boo in the alleyway near her, it became pretty clear that that was the problem," the doctor explained. "They don't often come into town like that on their own, but if one of them possesses someone who commutes into the city, it's likely that more will follow. And apparently, this lady attracted a bit more than her fair share of them."

"What usually happens to people who are possessed by Boos?" Peach asked as she followed the doctor to the woman's bedside, standing opposite of Merlon.

"Usually just one Boo has the power to consume someone's spirit on their own," the doctor began. "Normally, if a Boo managed to possess you and stay inside long enough, you would eventually become emotionless since you'd no longer have a spirit. Which is why this surprises me so much. This woman's spirit must be incredibly strong if she managed to hold that many Boos at once. Given a bit more time, the amount of Boos could have done much worse than consumed her spirit. They could have killed her." Peach silently placed a hand over her mouth in shock. She then recalled the light once more.

"Well, that Boo I saw tried to possess me, but it couldn't," Peach said. "It ended up bumping off of me and some kind of light shot out and erased it." The doctor smiled instantly at Peach.

"That, Your Highness, is due to the purity of your spirit," the doctor explained, causing Peach to blush slightly in embarrassment. "Boos can't possess a person such as yourself because your spirit has no dark spots in it for them to access."

Despite her embarrassment of the praise, Peach couldn't help but smile. She already had the position of princess of the Mushroom Kingdom and her boyfriend was the most beloved person in the entire world, but hearing this made her feel especially unique, even more so than she already did.

As she silently basked in the feeling, she and the doctor could hear snoring. They both looked at the woman, expecting her to be the source, but it was soon revealed that Merlon had fallen asleep as he stood there. He appeared to be in a deep rest too, as he wavered back and forth, threatening to fall over, but always managing to even himself out before he went too far to one extreme.

The doctor and Peach soon turned their attention away from him as the woman stirred and let out a small moan. Her eyes slowly peeled open, revealing her normal red eyes, the film having been erased. Her gaze seemed tender as her eyes met with Peach's. Peach smiled down at her as the woman appeared to remain emotionless.

"Are you the one who helped me?" she asked with a soft voice. Peach simply nodded in response. The woman then gave a small smile. "Thank you."

"It's no problem," Peach said happily.

"If you don't mind me asking, what's your name?" the doctor asked. The woman never took her gaze off Peach as she answered.

"Cherry," she said. The doctor nodded.

"How do you feel Miss Cherry?" the doctor asked. "Can you move?"

Cherry finally broke her gaze from Peach and appeared to move around a bit underneath the covers. Soon, she pulled the covers off of her, sat up, and brought her legs over to hang off the edge of the bed. She smiled brightly and giggled as she swung her shoeless feet back and forth.

"Looks like I'm pretty okay," she answered. Both Peach and the doctor were relieved as the doctor grabbed the clipboard once more.

"Good, good," he said happily. He scribbled a few things onto the paper attached to the board before speaking again. "Just hang tight then. I need to report your status to the office. Nevertheless, feel free to get comfortable. You're welcome to stay the night if you need to."

With that, the doctor left the room, prompting Cherry to stand up and step over to Peach, holding her smile.

"I'm glad you're okay," Peach said as Cherry looked into her eyes once again.

"All because of you," Cherry said softly. "Thanks again."

"It was no problem, really," Peach replied. "You know, you could stay at the castle tonight if you want to. I have plenty of guest rooms ready."

"Wow, a castle?" Cherry said, cocking her head slightly to the left, holding her smile. Her eyes suddenly widened as she realized just who Peach was. "Princess Toadstool?" she asked incredulously. Peach giggled.

"That's me."

"You're as kind as they say you are," Cherry said, leaning back against the bed and placing her hands on it to either side of her. "I couldn't impose though, you've already helped me so much."

"Don't be silly, it'd be no trouble at all," Peach insisted. Cherry looked away for a moment and appeared to blush slightly for whatever reason before facing Peach again.

"I'd be honored Your Majesty," she said. Peach chuckled.

"You don't have to be so formal with me," Peach said. "Just call me Peach."

"Wow, I'm on a first-name basis with the princess," Cherry said wistfully, looking away again. Peach chuckled once more. Moments later, the doctor re-entered the room and placed the now-empty clipboard back at the foot of the bed.

"Well Miss Cherry, you're clear," the doctor informed with a smile. "Will you be staying with us tonight then?"

Cherry looked over at Peach for a moment, who looked back, and shook her head at the doctor.

"Peach was kind enough to offer me a room at the castle," she explained. "Thank you very much though doctor. I appreciate your help."

"Thank Her Majesty," the doctor said. "If it wasn't for her, you could be dead by now."

"I know," Cherry said as she smiled at Peach. "I'm a very lucky girl." Peach waved off the compliments, but appreciated them nonetheless. The doctor clapped his hands together before speaking.

"Well Your Majesty, Miss Cherry, if that's all, then I wish you two a good night," he said. "I'm sorry to leave in such a rush, but I have another patient waiting for me down the hall. Be safe on your way back to the castle."

Finishing his farewells, the doctor left the room in a hurry. Peach and Cherry decided to follow suit and soon left as well. Merlon promptly fell down soon after they departed and continued to sleep on the floor.

–

"I feel disgusting," Cherry said as she and Peach entered the castle together. As Peach expected, the Toad guards in charge of the night shift were worried about her and even sent a sentry out to find her while she was gone. They seemed to take a sigh of relief as they saw her enter though. "I really need a shower and some fresh clothes."

"All of the guest rooms have a full bathroom and a closet with fresh nightwear," Peach informed as she opened a door to one of the rooms. "Here, I'll show you around."

The room was much larger than Cherry expected. And much pinker as well. The plush carpet, the king size bed, the vanity next to the bathroom and the closet, all pink. But she liked it. It all seemed very cute and charming as Peach opened up the closet for her.

"See?" Peach said, indicating the ten nightgowns and ten pajama suits hanging up on the bar. Pairs of the outfits were different colors: two red nightgowns and pajama suits, two blue sets, two pink sets, two green sets, and two orange sets. "So you can just pick out whatever color you like best."

As expected, Cherry grabbed one of the red nightgowns. She held the gown up to her body and looked down at it admirably. The gown was a shimmering silk and came down to just above her knees.

"Cute," Cherry said as she imagined how it would look on her. She then threw it over he arm and followed Peach as she led the way to the bathroom.

The bathroom turned out to be almost as large as the bedroom, containing a rather long shelf area with a sink and an accommodating mirror that equaled its length, a toilet on the far side of the room, and a bathtub/shower directly across from it, where the shelves ended. As expected, this room was also awash with pink, with some areas of white.

"Towels and wash cloths are in the cabinet right over here," Peach said, indicating an entire wall of cabinets directly across from the sink. Cherry had no clue what could possibly occupy so much space, but she didn't question it as Peach went to leave the room.

"I hope you enjoy the stay here," she said. Cherry smiled back at her.

"I'm sure I will," she said. Peach now smiled as well.

"Breakfast is at eight," Peach continued. "We won't have very much time to sleep before then, but I'll be by to come get you if you'd like to join in."

"I'd love to," Cherry confirmed. Peach nodded.

"I'll see you tomorr...well, in a few hours then," Peach said with a chuckle before waving goodbye. Cherry waved back and Peach closed the bathroom door. She left the room and headed for her own to finally retire for the night.

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**C/N: So how is it so far? Like it? I sure hope so. If you feel compelled to, please leave a review. No pressure. I'm not forcing you to hit that button just below here and type a message. It's sheerly an option. And as an option, you're not obliged to do it. And if you decide not to, it's fine. I'll be completely okay with it. Cool? Cool. Well, see you in the next chapter! If you decide to continue reading that is!**


	2. A Smile

**C/N: Happy New Year everyone! And now that that's out of the way, read this next chapter of the story. And enjoy it.**

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**"A Smile"**

That night, Cherry found herself trapped in a nightmare that felt all too real. She was helpless as she was lost in the darkness in her old, tattered blouse and skirt. She simply stood there, angling her head downward slightly, looking at the blackness before her with a blank expression. Something was circling around her, remaining unseen, but letting its presence be know.

_**"Make your choice now Cherry," **_the high pitched, oddly sinister voice echoed from the darkness. **_"It's you, or it's her."_**

"I know..." Cherry muttered without emotion. "But..."

Her voice trailed off as words failed her, which seemed to irk the being whirling around her.

_**"How can you even consider disobeying me?"**_ the voice asked, sounding rather astonished. **_"You know what's at risk here, and I already control your emotions. I don't see how it's possible that you can even show feelings for this woman without my say."_**

When Cherry didn't answer, the being grumbled and brought itself into vision, revealing itself to be King Boo, smiling toothily despite his obvious frustration and wearing his bejeweled crown proudly.

_**"Don't forget who has control over your life Cherry,"** _King Boo continued. _**"I already have your spirit. It won't take much more to consume your soul. If you don't do this, you can just kiss your existence goodbye."**_

A few moments of silence passed as King Boo stared Cherry down, awaiting her answer. She didn't seem to even notice he was there however, continuing to stare downward with her blank eyes.

"I'll do it..." she finally muttered, giving King Boo a reason to be smiling.

_**"That's a good girl,"**_ King Boo said as he retreated back into the shadows. **_"And once you're done, I'll return your spirit. Then you can go back to your life."_**

Once King Boo was gone for quite a while, Cherry set herself down onto the ground, supporting herself with an arm as she let her legs extend away from her, almost as if she were about to lie down on her side.

"What life...?" she muttered. "I have nothing... I live for nothing... So why do I want to keep going while someone who actually has a purpose dies? Why am I so selfish...?"

Cherry knew that, if she could, she would let herself cry openly. No tears came however. Nothing did.

She sat in the darkness, emotionless. King Boo had complete control over how she could feel, and he chose to let lust judge her actions while she was awake.

King Boo set his goal for Cherry. She would lure Peach in. She would make Peach feel remorse, guilt, and lust, giving King Boo a void of darkness in Peach's spirit to serve as an entryway to allow himself in. It was up to Cherry to blemish Peach's pure character. Then she could finally leave King Boo behind and escape his grip. She could finally have the freedom she's wanted for so many years. But would she be able to live with herself after the fact? She just didn't know.

The knock at the door told Cherry that it was time to get up. Peach did say that she would be by her room that morning. Cherry rolled over in her bed to look at the door and hugged her pillow close to her cheek. The door cracked open slowly and soon, Peach's beautiful head poked in and glanced at Cherry, who was gazing at her with a cute smile on her face.

"You awake?" Peach asked, smiling back at her. Cherry nodded her head slightly.

"Sure am."

–

Cherry attended the breakfast in the same outfit she wore the previous night, but Peach took the clothes with her as she left the guest room last night and had one of the castle staff wash it for Cherry while she was asleep.

The long, rectangular dining table was actually rather full. Peach and Daisy sat at the head of either end with Mario sitting to Peach's right and Luigi sitting to Daisy's left. To Peach's left was Toadsworth and to Daisy's right was Toadette. In the center of the table were Toad, who sat between Toadette and Toadsworth, and Cherry, who sat between Mario and Luigi. Everyone wore their trademark outfits.

The group ate silently for a while, as their food was just delivered to them and they were taking the moment to enjoy their first few bites. A few of the guests at the table noticed that Cherry frequently gave Peach a certain look as they ate, but Peach herself didn't seem to witness her in the act.

"This food is delicious," Cherry commented, breaking the silence. Just before Peach looked over at her, she looked down at her plate to appear as if she were focusing on the feast before her.

"I'm glad you like it," Peach spoke up. "We have the two most well-known cooks in the Mushroom Kingdom employed here."

"I'd like to meet them one day," Cherry said, causing almost everyone at the table to give a cough simultaneously. Cherry looked around, awaiting the reason for the gesture.

"Zess T. and Tayce T. are great cooks, but trust me, you do _not_ want to meet them," Toad said. "Tayce is alright, but Zess... Talk about an old bat."

Toadsworth cleared his throat roughly, opposing what Toad just said.

"Excuse me, but I find Zess to have a rather magnetic personality," he said defensively. Luigi scoffed.

"Well, she works in a kitchen full of sharp knives and forks," he began. "Maybe her 'magnetic' personality will attract those one day too."

Mario, Daisy, Toad, and Toadette couldn't help but chuckle, but Peach appeared rather shocked.

"Luigi, I never would have guessed you'd say something like that!" she said. Luigi lazily placed a bite of sausage into his mouth.

"You try being her apprentice for a while and see how you feel," he said. "Working under her feels more like a punishment than a learning experience."

"Should have thought about that before you agreed to do it then," Daisy scolded playfully, giving Luigi a small wink once he looked at her. He couldn't help but smile after witnessing that.

"Yeah yeah, I know..."

During the course of the conversation, Toadette noticed that Cherry's eyes never looked away from Peach. Peach herself never witnessed this since focused on whoever was speaking as the chat continued on, but Toadette felt strange as she observed Cherry and soon asked to speak with Peach alone for a minute.

The pair left the dining room and walked a small ways into the hallway outside before Toadette began to express her concerns.

"Peach, did you notice that that girl was staring at you in there?" she said rather quietly. Peach raised an eyebrow at her.

"You mean Cherry?" she asked.

"Yeah, her," Toadette confirmed. "She hasn't taken her eyes off of you a single time while we were in there."

"Really?" Peach said, looking back toward the door leading into the dining room. "She might just be like that," Peach suggested, shrugging.

"What do you mean?" Toadette asked, turning to look at the door herself.

"Well, last night, whenever she looked at me, she seemed pretty fixated," Peach explained. "I don't know, maybe she just looks like that sometimes."

"Whatever it is, I don't like it," Toadette muttered, looking back at Peach. "It's really creepy."

"Oh calm down Toadette, I'm sure it's nothing," Peach said with a smile. "Don't let it bug you so much." Toadette let out a small sigh.

"Alright, if you say so," Toadette said as she turned back to the door and led Peach back into the room. All of the men at the table stood as Peach and Toadette seated themselves once more, then sat back down themselves. Daisy couldn't help but laugh at the gesture.

"That has to be the stupidest formality ever," she commented. "Why do the men at the table have to stand up just to sit right back down when a lady joins them?"

"I have no idea," Mario said, playing with a piece of food on his plate. "But Toadsworth told us to start doing it one day."

"It's only good manners," Toadsworth said with a huff. "It's a proper gesture for the gentlemen to stand when a lady joins them."

"What a dumb rule," Daisy said as she chewed on a piece of toast. Toadsworth noted the action and seemed become irked.

"Please Princess Daisy, it's awfully rude to speak with your mouth full."

"Oh chill out Toadsworth, we're all friends here," Daisy said as she placed another piece of toast in her mouth. "We don't have to be so completely formal all the freakin' time."

"Language Princess Daisy!" Toadsworth retorted.

As the argument raged on, with everyone's attention focused on the back-and-forth between Toadsworth and Daisy, Peach glanced over at Cherry to see if she really was looking at her as intently as Toadette said she was.

Sure enough, Peach's eyes met with Cherry's, who put off eating as she gazed back. The two held their locked stare for a number of seconds before Cherry formed a noticeably sensuous smile, giving Peach a look that managed to make her blush and turn away.

It took Peach a while to realize that her heart was beating faster after the instance. She put a hand on her cheek and could feel that it was hot, her blush only growing a deeper red as she realized that Cherry was, in fact, giving her odd looks.

"Excuse me," Peach said quietly, standing and exiting the room as quickly as she could to make sure nobody could see her face. Almost everyone at the table wanted to follow her out to inquiry about her sudden departure, but they all soon decided to leave her to her own thoughts.

Peach walked down the hallway, at a quick pace to begin with, but, as she left the dining room further and further behind, she slowed herself down to a comfortable walk. Along the way, she tried to control her racing thoughts and steady her heartbeat. She left the castle through a side door that lead to a cobblestone path curving around to the back where the gardens lied.

She rested herself in a gazebo located a fair distance away from the castle, sitting on the wooden bench provided underneath the shady cover. By now, she'd managed to calm herself down, and observing the many different, colorful flowers all around her seemed to soothe her mind.

"Why did she look at me like that?" Peach muttered with a sigh, leaning back against the railing behind her. "And...how come I reacted the way I did?"

She folded her arms and slumped backwards in a tiny huff. It was amazing how a few small seconds effected her so much. But she couldn't help but wonder. Why did her heart begin to race the way it did when Cherry smiled like that? Something about it felt...attractive. Peach shook her head harshly, trying to throw the thought out of her mind.

"Oh, what am I doing?" she muttered, dropping her head to let it hang, threatening to lose her crown as she did so. "I'm in love with Mario. He's everything to me. So...why am I thinking about her like this?" She fell silent for a few moments, struggling to keep her thoughts on Mario, but failing miserably to do so as Cherry's smile replaced him constantly. Peach soon let out another sigh and brought her head back up to look out at the gardens once more.

"I've never felt this way before..." she said, sounding disappointed in herself. "I can't believe I'm feeling this way right now... Ugh, just stop it Peach, stop it!" she scolded herself, standing up quickly and holding her head up high. "That smile didn't mean anything. That's...just the way she is."

Peach slowly forced herself off the gazebo, taking one step down at a time, and stopping as she reached the ground to look around at the field of flowers once more before she began to make her way back. She decided that she would find out where Cherry lived and have her escorted back home as soon as possible.

"Peach," a voice called out to her as she walked, causing her to stop in her tracks. She looked around to see who it was that said her name. She spotted Mario strolling up to her from behind, waving a hand as he approached. She instantly smiled brightly, relieved to see him. "How come you left breakfast so suddenly?" Mario asked as the two met. "We were all worried about you. Your face looked pretty red when you left."

"Oh, um," Peach stuttered, trying to make up an excuse on the spot. "I had my period," she blurted out, unable to think of any plausible reason. She mentally smacked herself in the face for thinking up such an excuse, but Mario, thankfully, accepted it.

"Oh...well uh...I guess that's a good reason," he said nervously, looking away from Peach as he did so. "Should I, uh...leave you alone then? I know how-"

"No, no, it's okay," Peach said almost too quickly, catching Mario off guard. He wanted to ask her if she was feeling okay, but, believing she was on her period, he allowed Peach to act any way she wanted to without questioning her. "I'm glad you're here actually," Peach admitted, grabbing on to both of Mario's hands. "I was just thinking about you."

"Thinking good things I hope," Mario said with a smile. Peach pulled him closer and the two were soon enveloped in a deep, long kiss. Several seconds later, they separated and simply stared into each other's eyes.

"Just how much I love you," Peach forced herself to say, trying her hardest to sound truly genuine. Mario took the comment and returned it.

"I love you too Peach," he replied, sounded much more convincing than she did. The couple shared a second kiss and they walked off into the garden, holding hands the entire time. The whole way though, Peach had to keep back tears that were trying desperately to escape her saddened eyes.

–

"Daisy," Peach said as she knocked on her friend's bedroom door. "Are you there?" A few seconds passed before Daisy answered the door, letting Peach into her room.

"What's up Peach?" Daisy asked as they both sat on Daisy's messy, unmade bed. She could tell that Peach was upset and soon brought her arm around her to hug her from the side. "Something wrong?"

Peach's eyes were slightly reddened and faint tear stains marked her face. She leaned against Daisy, staring at the wall and sniffling slightly.

"I don't know what's going on Daisy," Peach said in almost a whimper, trying to keep her voice steady. "I just can't stop thinking about her."

"About who?" Daisy asked.

"Cherry," Peach answered, causing Daisy to raise an eyebrow questioningly.

"That girl you found last night? The one that was at breakfast?"

"Yes," Peach answered, sitting up straight and turning her body towards Daisy, but keeping her gaze low. "I just don't understand why I can't get her out of my mind. Ever since she smiled at me at breakfast, it's like she's all that I'm ever thinking about. It's scaring me Daisy. I think that I'm actually attracted to her." Daisy's eyes widened suddenly as she heard Peach utter the last sentence.

"Whoa girl, I didn't know you swung that way," Daisy said jokingly, only serving to upset Peach more. "Is Mario just a front?"

"This isn't something to joke about Daisy!" Peach exclaimed, looking into Daisy's eyes as her own began to well up. Daisy suddenly realized how serious Peach was being and quieted down. "I was talking to Mario in the garden earlier, and we kissed, and I told him I loved him, but the entire time, I didn't feel a thing. It was like everything I did meant absolutely nothing. All I could think about was Cherry."

She found herself leaning against Daisy's shoulder once more as tears flowed from her eyes. Daisy put a hand on the back of Peach's head and patted her hair softly, hoping to comfort her as she let her feelings pour out.

"I just can't believe how suddenly it happened Daisy," Peach muttered, almost sounding incoherent. "Mario and I have been together exclusively for all these years, and one look from a woman and suddenly it's like I want her more than I do Mario. Why Daisy? I don't understand."

Daisy didn't know how to answer. She wasn't exactly an expert at consoling others, for she was rarely presented with the situation to do so. Thankfully, simply being there to talk helped Peach a bit. Peach sat up straight once more and wiped the tears away from her eyes before looking at Daisy.

"I'm sorry to unload all of this on you Daisy," Peach apologized. "But I had to tell someone..."

"It's okay Peach," Daisy said, trying her best to understand. She let her friend gather herself over the course of the next few seconds. With a dry face and a controlled nose, Peach made a request.

"I hate to ask this of you Daisy, but could you get some escort guards to take Cherry back to her home?" Peach said. "I don't want to have to see her right now."

"No problem," Daisy said, standing up from the bed. Peach lied back on the bed and let out a long sigh as Daisy left the room. She closed her eyes and let her mind be at peace, thinking of nothing in particular. She seemed to forget how tired she was due to her lack of sleep however, and, soon, she found herself drifting off to sleep.

–

Peach was in her bedroom, hoping to escape from the rest of the world after a highly stressful day. Her body ached and her mind seemed run into the ground as she could hardly have a complete thought before forgetting what she was just focusing on.

She fell limply onto her bed face first, crawled onto it lazily, and rolled over onto her back, letting out a deep, aggravated sigh. All she wanted was peace and quiet, and to sleep in that exact position, spread eagle on her back, on top of her covers, and still wearing her dress. She didn't care. That position was just as comfortable as any for someone too lazy to change clothes or lift sheets over themselves.

As she began to doze off, she heard a knocking at the door. She groaned loudly before forcing herself onto her feet, nearly falling over as her legs refused to function for a while, but catching her balance before it was too late. She managed to make her way to the door and opened it up to reveal Mario on the other side. Despite her fatigue, seeing him brought a smile to her face.

"Hi sweetie," she greeted, sharing as kiss with him as he entered the room. She closed the door behind him and yawned deeply before rubbing her eyes. "What are you doing here so late at night?"

"It's only seven," Mario chuckled as he observed Peach clumsily sitting back down on her bed. He could tell was she was incredibly tired and gave her a smile. "Should I leave? You seem pretty dead right now."

"No, no, stay," Peach insisted, "Sit next to me." She indicated a spot on the bed next to her and he obliged happily, facing her as he sat down.

"I just dropped by to see how you were doing tonight," Mario said, clasping her hand with one of his own, which they let rest of the small portion of the bed between them. "You seemed kind of out of it today."

"Oh, yeah, I guess I was," Peach admitted. "But don't worry about it, it was-"

"I know, you said you were having your period," Mario decided to finish her sentence for her. Peach had forgotten she made that up as an excuse earlier, but decided to go ahead and run with it. "Feeling better now?"

"Well, aside from being so sleepy, I'm perfectly fine," Peach said. "Especially now that you're here." They both smiled simultaneously and came in for a long, soft kiss, separating tenderly once it came to a close.

"So, I went ahead and had a chat with Cherry earlier," Mario said, much to Peach's dismay. The mention of Cherry seemed to turn the mood upside down for her, but she didn't stop Mario from talking about her. "She's seems pretty nice."

"Yeah, she is..." Peach muttered, trying to sound as if she were fine with talking about her. Mario detected her reluctance however and decided to address it.

"Is something wrong?" he asked. "You sound kind of distant."

"No, I'm fine," Peach lied.

"Are you?" a different voice asked from the other side of Peach. Startled, she looked over and nearly fell backwards as she was greeting by a soft face with red eyes that leaned in closed to hers. "It seems like you have something on your mind," Cherry whispered softly as she stroked Peach's arm tenderly.

Her heart began to race at Cherry's touch and she reached back desperately, only to grasp thin air where Mario used to be. She turned around to find the space completely empty. She and Cherry were the only two in the room. As she turned back to face her, the two were immediately nose to nose and Peach quickly stood up off the bed.

"Please, stop!" Peach begged. "Just leave me alone!"

Cherry didn't say a word in response, simply staring at Peach with her same, luring smile. After a short while, Peach felt as if she were a deer caught in headlights, staring at Cherry's full, smiling lips. She hardly seemed to notice as Cherry stood from the bed and embraced her in an intimate hug, wrapping her arms around the small of her back. Their breath began to intermingle as Cherry came in for a kiss, and Peach found herself sitting up quickly, her breathing having been slowed and deepened. She was in Daisy's room, sitting on her messy bed, clasping her chest as her heart threatened to beat out of it for the second time that day.

She looked around quickly to make sure she was completely alone. No Mario. No Cherry. Nobody. Assuring that she was the only person in the room, she fell on her back and took in a deep breath as she held a pillow tightly over her mouth.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" she screamed, muffled by the pillow that she soon tossed aside carelessly. "Why am I getting so worked up over a SMILE!!??"

She then stood up from the bed quickly and began to pace the floor.

"How do I know she was flirting with me anyway?" he asked herself. "I mean, it was just a smile. It's not like she dropped on one knee and gave me a solid gold ring or something." She stopped pacing and dropped her arms to her side suddenly. "Even if she wasn't implying anything...why am I so bothered when I think about her? How come I'm so attracted to her that I can't even put my heart into it when I kiss Mario or tell him I love him...? ...I feel terrible..."

The door to the room opened without warning and Daisy entered, closing it behind her quickly, for she left a couple Toad guards standing just outside, along with Cherry.

"Okay, she's telling us that she doesn't have a home," Daisy said, appearing to be undecided on whether to feel pity or aggravation. "We keep trying to get her to tell us where she lives, but she says it's somewhere in Forever Forest that she can't return to."

"Forever Forest?" Peach said, rather surprised.

"I know, right?" Daisy said, folding her arms. "Who does she think she's fooling? There's nothing but a bunch of Boos and hostile creatures in that forest. Like anyone in their right mind would actually live there." Peach remained silent for a while, prompting Daisy to speak again. "So what should we do with her? You don't want her to stay here do you?"

Peach appeared to think deeply about it. It would be unfair to send Cherry away just because Peach couldn't control her own feelings. She had no evidence that Cherry was trying anything with her, and decided that she shouldn't be sent away if she claimed to have nowhere to return to.

"No, she can stay with us," Peach said, surprising Daisy quite a bit.

"But what about all that stuff you talked about earlier?" Daisy asked. "I thought you said she was ruining things between you and Mario."

"It's not her fault Daisy," Peach said with a sigh. "If I can't control how I feel, that's my problem. Cherry shouldn't have to pay because of that. We'll let her stay as long as she needs to."

"Alright, whatever you say," Daisy said with a shrug as she motioned back towards the door. "Do you care if you see her then?" she asked before opening it up again. Peach shook her head.

"Not right now," she answered. She then let out a large sigh and dropped herself back down onto Daisy's bed. "All I want to do is sleep." Daisy nodded and poked her head out of the doorway, informing the guards that Cherry would, in fact, be staying at the castle for as long as she needed. She seemed to be caught up in some conversation for a time before she was able to close the door. "What'd they say?" Peach asked, closing her eyes lazily. Daisy lied down next to her on the bed before answering.

"Nothing much," Daisy responded. "One of the guards asked if we needed anything else to be done before his shift was over."

"Ah," Peach said. A few moments of silence passed before Peach spoke again. "Daisy, can I sleep here tonight?"

"Why? You're room's right across the hallway."

"But I'm sooo tired..." Peach whined. "Please? If you loved me you'd let me stay over here..."

"Oh alright, fine," Daisy said in false aggravation as she stood up from the bed. "Just don't get your crap mixed in with my crap and you can stay."

"Thank you Daisy," Peach said sleepily as she turned on her side. "You're a great friend."

"Yeah yeah, I know," Daisy responded as she retreated into her bathroom to change into her nightgown. Peach found herself drifting off to sleep moments later.


	3. Our Spot

**C/N: Well, I've moved along the plot of the story much quicker than I originally thought I would. I'm not complaining; I like the pace I'm going at, but, when this story was mulling around in my head, I expected it to be a bit longer than it seems it actually will be. No point putting off what needs to happen eventually in favor of increasing the story's length anyway. Now then, here's the next chapter for you. I hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

**"Our Spot"**

"Why do you want Peach...?" Cherry asked blankly, trapped in her dark dream world once again as King Boo hovered around her, scoffing at the question.

**"_What does it matter?"_** he answered. **_"You know what'll happen to you if you fail to follow through with my request. That should be enough."_**

"I just want to know..." Cherry persisted, urging King Boo out of the shadows. He raised an eyebrow at her questioningly before deciding he may as well tell her. As far as he was concerned, it would make no difference whether she knew or not.

**"_Peach has the purest soul and the strongest spirit in the entire world,"_** he began to explain as he sank back into the shadows. **_"I am already the most powerful Boo in existence, but once I consume her spirit and her soul, I will be simply unstoppable."_**

"...What do you plan to-"

**"_Enough,"_** King Boo commanded, quieting Cherry immediately. **_"You're in no position to be seeking answers. You already owe me your life, for I kept the other Boos away from your soul until that exorcist erased them. And I'm being generous enough to spare it once again. Focus on your goal and don't question me again."_**

Silence prevailed afterwards, leaving Cherry all alone once again. And once again, she stared downward blankly. Wondering.

–

The following morning, after freshening herself up with a shower and a change into a clean dress, Peach opted for another stroll into the garden. She felt like a new woman as she looked around the familiar grounds as though this were her first time visiting them.

This morning, she had no guests to entertain. Mario and Luigi had a job in town that was estimated to take up the bulk of the day, Toad and Toadette were taking a ferry to Rogueport, off to visit some relatives that lived in the city, and Toadsworth took his day off to spend it with Zess T. Peach appreciated the lack of activity, especially after the emotional turmoil she went through the previous day. At the moment, she seemed almost unable to believe that yesterday actually happened, being so at peace with herself and everything around her. She figured her lack of sleep just threw her out of proportion and caused her to take things more seriously than they actually were.

To make her morning brighter, Peach realized that the only person on her thoughts was Mario. As she rested at the gazebo and gazed out at the garden, she smiled to herself, thinking of the day Mario brought her a bouquet of a dozen red roses. It was the day of their very first date, a day she would never forget. She thought the gesture was the sweetest thing in the world, and, upon asking Mario how much he paid for the flowers, she discovered he hadn't spent a single coin. He wouldn't tell her until their fifth date, but he actually cut the flowers out of Peach's own garden before giving them to her. As Peach stared out, she smiled, letting a chuckle escape as she remembered how angry she was. It didn't matter that they'd been together for a while; knowing that Mario took the flowers from her own backyard infuriated her. She refused to talk to him for weeks. Then, he did the most pitiful thing she'd ever witness. He sang for her.

It was a custom song, made with the intent of apologizing to her as he serenaded her at the same time. His singing voice was horrible, and he couldn't hold a tune or a beat to save his life. He blamed Luigi for the idea of taking the roses from the garden and proceeded to say that, if he could, he would have gone back and grown his own bed of roses to give her. He apologized for keeping the secret and told her he would never do something like that again. Back then, Peach had a rather hard heart, and didn't forgive him outright, but after a while, she lightened up. And when she finally did, Mario took her into Forever Forest. She was reluctant about going of course, but he assured her she wouldn't regret the trip. He had a gift waiting for her there.

The journey took about half an hour as Mario carefully chose the path he took, checking to make sure he was going the right direction every step of the way. Peach complained the entire time, demanding to return to the town immediately, but Mario marched on, and, finally, they were there. As expected, Peach's constant complaining immediately ceased as she was awestruck by what she found. Deep within the dark, unattractive expanse of forest, a truly surprising gem of a tranquil waterfall rested. The area was dark, like the rest of the forest, but the perfectly clear pool of water into which the waterfall ran made Peach's heart melt immediately. She hurried over to the pool excitedly and knelt down to dip her fingers in as Mario approached with a smile.

Before he could say anything, Peach shot back up and suddenly hugged him as she gave him a peck on the cheek. He let out a chuckle as he returned the embrace.

"You like it?" he asked.

"Are you kidding!? I love it!" Peach answered.

"Good," Mario said, brightening his smile. "Then this will be our spot."

And Peach remembered that that was the very moment she fell in love with him. He found a sanctuary, just for the two of them, and promised that he would never tell anyone about its existence. If they ever wanted to get away from it all together, they had somewhere to go that nobody would ever guess to look. They returned there several times, usually for anniversaries, but they didn't want to retreat to the area too often. They both knew they would start to lose appreciation for it if they did.

However, now that she thought about it, they hadn't gone to the spot for over a year now. On the day of their anniversary last year, she was in Bowser's clutches, and, in all the mayhem of the rescuing, both Mario and Peach had forgotten about their personal tradition to visit the pool. It would be another few months before their next chance to visit in the name of celebration, but Peach had a sudden urge to head for it right then. She didn't want to go without Mario though. She let out a sigh as she watched one of the gardeners trim the hedges that bordered the grounds. It was decided. As soon as she could get a hold of him, she and Mario were going out to their spot.

"Mind if I join you?" a voice inquired from below the gazebo's steps, catching Peach slightly off guard. She turned to see who was speaking, and, to her slight surprise, Cherry was standing there with her same smile, waiting for Peach's answer. Peach did feel a bit apprehensive when she thought about how much Cherry affected her the previous day, but decided it would be rude and unfair to turn her away.

"Not at all," Peach answered, trying to return the smile as she turned back to gaze at the garden once more. Cherry climbed the steps and followed suit, looking out at the gardens as well.

"You looked like you were thinking pretty deeply," Cherry commented, making Peach wonder exactly how long she was present before approaching her. "It felt rude to interrupt, but I saw you out here and wanted to come thank you for letting me stay in the castle. It was very kind of you to lend me a room."

"No problem Cherry," Peach said, realizing just how uncomfortable she was at the moment. She felt that she couldn't be herself around her anymore. She had to appear friendly, but remain defensive in case something happened to make Peach feel like she did yesterday. However, Cherry gave no signs of even attempting to try anything suggestive with her.

"Am I bothering you Peach?" Cherry asked, looking over at Peach, who returned the look with something of a surprised expression. "I can leave if you'd rather be alone right now."

When Peach didn't answer, Cherry took it to mean that she was, indeed, intruding, and stood from the bench to leave her to her thoughts. Peach watched after her as she stepped down from the gazebo and turned onto the path, headed back for the castle. She felt guilty for causing her to leave, and, before letting her get too far, Peach stood and spoke up.

"Wait!" she called, making Cherry stop and turn back to face her once she was twenty feet away. Cherry simply stood there, looking at Peach as she fell silent. Peach seemed at a loss for words once again as she looked at Cherry. She hated being so rude, but the sight of Cherry seemed to make her freeze and spirited the words right out of her mouth.

After several seconds, Cherry turned and continued on her way. Peach watched her for a while before dropping back onto the bench, letting out a deep, aggravated sigh.

"Well I'm a jerk," she muttered. Cherry wasn't trying anything with her. She knew it. And the way she acted yesterday was simply uncalled for. As was the way she acted just now.

Peach turned to look at the flowers once again. She had to make it up to Cherry for being so rude. The next time she saw her, she had to apologize.

–

"Sorry Peach, but my sweetie's taking me out later tonight," Daisy said as she applied some eyeliner in front of her vanity in her bedroom. "I hate getting all gussied up like this, but he's taking me to a pretty high-class place, so I have to look nice."

Peach decided to invite Cherry out to the seaside diner as a means of apology and to have some time to get to know her a bit better. Before asking though, she went up to Daisy's room to see if she'd like to join them, only to find herself getting prepared for her own night out on the town.

"Why are you taking Cherry to dinner anyway?" Daisy asked, getting her remaining eyelashes done. "One day she's ruining your life, the next, you're dating her."

"It's not a date," Peach said defensively, nudging Daisy and making her smear her eyeliner over her forehead.

"Geez, I was just kidding, chill out," Daisy said as she rubbed the eyeliner on her forehead roughly to hopefully smear it away. When it wouldn't disappear, she simply shrugged. "Whatever, I'll just put makeup over it later. Anyway, why don't you ask Mario to go with you?"

"He can't, he told me he's taking the ship out to Rogueport tonight," Peach explained, sitting on Daisy's bed. "He agreed to be a guest star in the play that's running over there about his adventure to defeat the Shadow Queen. He'll be gone for at least a week."

"Man, Mario's such a softie," Daisy commented as she put the eyeliner down and decided to give herself a break as she looked over at Peach, her black mark still conspicuously showing on her forehead. "So, what, you're gonna go with Cherry alone?"

"Looks that way," Peach said, leaning back and looking up at the ceiling to avoid seeing Daisy's mark. "You think I should?"

"After the way I saw you yesterday, I don't think it'd the greatest idea," Daisy responded honestly. "But, hey, if you really trust her, then go ahead. If I find you crying again though, someone in this castle is getting hurt." Peach chuckled at the comment and shook her head slowly, keeping her gaze on the ceiling.

"It won't happen again Daisy," Peach assured her, standing up to prepare to leave. "Well, I haven't even asked Cherry if she wanted to have dinner with me yet, so I guess I should go find her. Have fun with Luigi."

"I better," Daisy responded, turning back to her vanity mirror with a frown. "Spending so much time getting dolled up like this." Peach chuckled as Daisy gave rubbing her eyeliner out a second attempt. "Good luck with Cherry. Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"Oh be quiet Daisy, this isn't a date," Peach repeated, exasperated.

"You said it, not me," Daisy retorted, going through her makeup to find a shade that was good for her. "But seriously, I hope you have a good time. Who knows, she might be a stand up girl."

"Thanks Daisy," Peach said as she opened the door to leave. Before she exited however, a departing question popped into her mind. "When do you think you'll be back anyway?"

"No idea, but I wouldn't wait up," Daisy suggested. Peach nodded before stepping out of the room, closing the door behind her as she set off to find Cherry.

–

After changing into more casual clothes, Peach checked Cherry's room, only to find it empty. She then decided to revisit the garden and see if she could spot her out there. The sun was beginning to set and she still hadn't seen Cherry at all since that morning. And ten minutes of searching the garden didn't yield any better results.

"Excuse me," Peach said politely as she approached one of the Toad gardeners on their break. "Have you seen one of my guests around here lately? She's a woman with red hair and red eyes."

"I'm sorry Your Majesty, I haven't seen anyone by that description at all today," the gardener answered, causing Peach to stop and think for a moment. She had no idea where Cherry might frequent, as Peach only ever saw her when she was alone either in her room or in the garden. However, she did recall a tidbit of information Daisy imparted to her the previous night.

"_We keep trying to get her to tell us where she lives, but she says it's somewhere in Forever Forest that she can't return to."_

With little to go on, Peach decided it was worth a shot to see if any of the guards by the front entrance saw Cherry go by at some point. And sure enough, it was reported that she was seen headed out into Toad Town earlier that day. Peach thanked the guards for the information before walking off to the town herself.

By the time she reached Forever Forest, the sun was nearly out of sight, and the "Magic Hour" where the sky became a multicolored pleasure was dawning upon the town. This was a time where the citizens would often stop whatever they were doing for a while to appreciate nature's beauty above them. Peach would usually take time out of her day to view this time when the sky looked alive, but now she'd finally found Cherry, who was simply standing there, gazing off into the forest before her. She appeared to be fixated as Peach walked up behind her, making a small commotion as a twig fallen from an overhead tree snapped under her step.

Cherry turned around upon hearing the sound, but didn't appear to be shocked to find Peach was suddenly there. To the contrary, she wore her smile, as if she expected Peach to be the person behind her.

"Hey Cherry," Peach greeted, holding her hands behind her back a little guiltily. "I've been looking all over for you."

"I've just been standing here, looking into the forest," Cherry reported, turning back to face the expanse once again. Peach walked up beside her to join her in her watch.

"I'm sorry about how I acted this morning," Peach apologized with a small sigh. "It was very rude of me, and I want to make it up to you."

"You didn't have to apologize Peach," Cherry said, glancing over at her. "I understood that you wanted to be alone."

"Still, I could have been a bit more open with you," Peach muttered, looking downward to the ground. "Which is why I wanted to ask if you'd like to have a chat over dinner."

When Cherry didn't say anything in response, Peach looked over at her, meeting her crimson eyes once again. Something about them made her feel comfortable, yet awkward at the same time. Cherry soon looked back at the forest however, breaking the gaze as Peach snapped out of her momentary trance.

"What were you thinking about this morning?" Cherry asked, apparently ignoring Peach's invitation. Peach returned her gaze to the forest as well. As she recalled her thoughts, she slowly formed a small smile.

"About Mario...and something he did for me that I'll never forget," Peach said, softening her voice a bit.

"What'd he do?" Cherry asked.

"Mmm," Peach grumbled as she wavered between decided whether to tell Cherry or not. "I probably shouldn't say. It's a secret."

"I won't tell," Cherry promised, looking over at Peach once again, causing Peach to look back at her. Again, her eyes seemed to work some kind of magic on Peach, making her believe she could probably trust Cherry with the story.

"Well...back when Mario and I were still early on in our relationship, Mario found a nice little spot inside the forest," Peach explained. "It was really beautiful, and we promised each other that we'd visit it together for every one of our anniversaries. But we couldn't do it last year..."

"That's a shame," Cherry said, now turning her body to face Peach as well. "You must really miss it."

"I do," Peach confirmed, now completely turning as well. "I'd like to visit it again soon."

"I would too," Cherry imparted. Peach suddenly felt apprehensive once again.

"I can't take you, if that's what you're asking..." Peach said, looking away from Cherry's eyes now. "I promised to Mario I'd never go with anyone but him. It's our spot."

"I know the place you're talking about," Cherry said, taking a small step toward Peach, making Peach look at her again. "I've been there before. Several times."

At this point, Peach didn't know whether or not she could really trust Cherry. The woman had to be lying. As far as Peach knew, she and Mario were the only two people in the world that knew of that spot in Forever Forest. And even if there were others that knew about it, she wanted to believe that it existed just for the two of them. Cherry appeared to know what she was talking about as she described the spot however, making Peach wonder about her past.

"The spot you're talking about was probably the most peaceful place you've ever been," Cherry deduced, prompting a small nod from Peach. "Did it have a pool? And a little waterfall? And, despite the crashing of the water, was it completely silent?"

Peach couldn't believe it. Cherry described the spot exactly. She had to have been there before. But before Peach could ask any questions, Cherry continued on.

"I used to visit the place often," Cherry explained, taking another small step toward Peach. "Whenever I had something on my mind, I would go out and find it. But I noticed that every time I went, something seemed to be different."

"Different?" Peach repeated, allowing Cherry to take another step toward her. The two were now rather close to each other, standing barely two feet away as Cherry continued.

"It was hardly noticeable, but something about the place would change," Cherry said. "And, the more I looked into it, the more I realized that changes seemed to be made depending on my state of mind.

"If I felt calm, the water in the pool wouldn't ripple at all," she explained. "And if I was disturbed, it appeared to ripple more than natural. When I was scared, the crashing of the waterfall wasn't silent anymore. Every time, it was something different."

Peach hadn't noticed until Cherry finished her speech, but, at some point, Cherry had grabbed one of her hands. Peach didn't feel any urge to resist the grip however, as Cherry made a request.

"I would like to see if there's anything different now," Cherry asked. "But I can't go back alone."

"Why can't you?" Peach asked reluctantly, trying to resist the urge to walk with her to the location.

"Something is keeping me from going," Cherry said, making herself sound as if she were simply scared to go by herself. "I've been trying to make myself go inside since I saw you this morning, but I just couldn't. Now that you're here though, I think I can."

A moment of silence passed as Peach struggled with herself to decide whether or not she should go. She made a promise with Mario to never go to the spot without him in hopes of keeping the secret to themselves, but he would be gone for the next week. She desperately wanted to go see the spot herself though, and, knowing Cherry was aware of its existence, she figured it wouldn't exactly be a betrayal of her promise. Before she could make her decision though, Cherry grabbed Peach's other hand and looked deeply into her eyes, seeming to peer right into her heart.

"Please Peach," she pleaded with a serious tone, making the visit sound very important to her. Peach couldn't make herself resist any longer and she soon found herself nodding.

"Okay," she agreed with slight guilt. "I'll come with you."

"Thank you," Cherry said with a smile as she let go of one of Peach's hands and pulled her towards the forest with the other. Peach began to follow behind her, then walked alongside her as they went underneath the cover of the trees. Cherry never let go of Peach's hand, and Peach never appeared to mind that she was holding it.

–

Sure enough, Cherry knew the proper path to take in order to reach the hidden area, and Peach found that she was actually growing more excited the closer and closer they got to the spot. This excitement only served to make her feel bad about breaking her promise to Mario saying she would never go without him, but, remembering he would be away for a week, she made herself believe that it was okay to go out to the spot just for the sake of seeing it again. She could go back again with Mario when he came back.

Cherry pushed aside the final branch, allowing herself and Peach to walk down the last path leading to the area. Peach dropped Cherry's hand as she saw what was before her, stunned to find the area filled with red roses from the entrance over to the pool below the waterfall. As Peach walked amongst the roses, Cherry couldn't help but look around herself, wondering what it all meant.

She walked amongst the flowers as Peach did, and the two met at the foot of the pool. They both sat before it and looked into it, seeing their reflections as well as those of the nearby roses.

"What are you feeling right now Peach?" Cherry asked as she casually waved a hand over the water, barely touching the surface as she did so.

"I'm excited," Peach answered with a smile. "I didn't know there would be roses here."

Cherry recalled the one time she visited the site while she was excited. The feeling made the waterfall bigger and louder while Cheep-Cheeps leaped about in the pool. However, right now, the waterfall was it's average size and made no sound, and no Cheep-Cheeps were anywhere.

"Roses don't reflect excitement," Cherry muttered. Peach gazed over at her and Cherry looked back. "You're not feeling anything else?"

"Well, to be honest, I feel a little guilty," Peach admitted. She soon realized that, as she looked at Cherry, her cheeks began to burn and her heart beat a little faster. "And a little ashamed... And...I think I might be a little...attracted to you."

Peach could feel herself grow intensely red as Cherry smiled.

"I'm sorry, I probably shouldn't have said that," Peach said, preferring to stare into the water now, feeling embarrassed.

"It's fine," Cherry assured her, patting her on the back softly. "I'd like to know though, what makes you feel that way about me?"

Peach didn't know how to answer. She never really thought about why she had these feelings for her, but she couldn't deny that they were there. Maybe yesterday wasn't as unbelievable as she thought, considering how she felt at this moment. Except now, Mario wasn't even on her mind.

"I'm not entirely sure..." Peach answered, still refusing to look at Cherry. "Yesterday, when you smiled at me during breakfast...I don't know, it just felt like something went off inside me and you were all I could think about the entire day. I thought you were flirting with me when you did that, and, as the day went on, I even considered what it would be like to be with...you," Peach finished her sentence, realizing how awkward it was to be saying this to another woman. Cherry didn't seem phased at all by the news however. Actually, she seemed happy about it.

"All from a little smile?" Cherry asked, subtly leaning in closer to Peach. "I have to say, it's very flattering that you thought about me like that."

"So...you're not creeped out about it at all?" Peach asked, shyly looking back at Cherry, who simply shook her head.

"As a matter of fact, when I smiled at you," Cherry whispered, inconspicuously placing her hand over Peach's, "I was thinking the same thing."

Peach's heart nearly stopped as Cherry leaned closer to her. She didn't know how to react as Cherry's lips pressed against her own, delivering a soft, tender kiss. Cherry separated from her and looked into her eyes for a moment. All kinds of thoughts raced through Peach's head at once. She thought about her betrayal of Mario. She thought about what she was giving up at this very moment. She thought about how life would be from this point on. But none of it seemed to matter as Cherry kissed her again, and, slowly, she could feel herself returning it.

There, in that spot, Peach betrayed Mario's love and trust. In that spot, she shared an intimate moment with a woman secretly working against her. In that spot, her spirit became invaded by King Boo, and, in that spot, her life would slowly begin to wither away.


	4. Magic Hour

**Cascore's Note: Alright everyone, here's the final chapter of the story. I tried my best to make it a good ending, so I hope you enjoy it. Thank you for your support, and I hope to see you again soon.**

* * *

**"Magic Hour"**

The morning after fulfilling King Boo's wish, Cherry stood in front of Forever Forest once again. The moon still occupied the black sky while she gazed inside. As King Boo promised, her spirit was returned and she had dominance over her own feelings once again. She found it hard to appreciate the renewed control however. What was the point of having emotions if you could only feel a single one: regret?

The previous night, after King Boo's transfer was complete, Cherry and Peach returned to the castle together, and not once did they ever say a single word to each other along the way. Cherry didn't need conversation to know how Peach felt though; the details were etched all over the princess's face. That one fleeting moment by the pool seemed to instantaneously destroy Peach's life. For so long she remained wholly faithful to one person, and one person only, and Cherry ruined that special bond in the span of a single evening. With a kiss, she turned Peach's world completely upside-down.

Cherry couldn't stop thinking about what she had done. Her actions put the princess of the Mushroom Kingdom in peril, and, now, there was nothing she could do about it. Was she really so concerned about her own life that she was willing to destroy another's to save it? She couldn't bear the thought. But as she tried to push her selfishness away, more and more thoughts clouded her mind.

What would King Boo do after he was finished with Peach? What would he do with her closest friends? What would become of the Mushroom Kingdom? Or, what would happen to Mushroom World itself? She simply didn't know.

Cherry began her walk into the forest. With those steps, she cast away the world behind her. She would escape, hiding away from what she caused. She was determined to never be seen by anyone's eyes ever again.

–

Breakfast that morning was small; only half the patrons that gathered around the table two days ago were present. Daisy occupied one end of the table, while Luigi and Toadsworth sat on the sides, leaving Peach the end opposite of Daisy.

The mood felt oddly somber as the four ate silently. The only guess as to why it was quiet was the lack of the breakfast regulars, but Peach, appearing disheveled that morning, provided another reason for the lack of conversation. She looked as if she had gotten no sleep the previous night, for her eyes were dulled and her hair was splayed about as she appeared to stare off distantly.

Despite being at the breakfast table for several minutes, Peach never once touched her food. Daisy, Luigi, and Toadsworth all glanced at her occasionally, but none said a word. Peach's behavior along with her appearance disturbed her friends, and, soon, she was standing from the table.

"Excuse me," she muttered before leaving the room. Everyone watched as she left, and Luigi was the first to speak once she was gone.

"Did something happen?" he asked, prompting a shrug from Daisy.

"Not to my knowledge," Toadsworth answered, still looking off in the direction Peach headed. "It worries me to think what might be wrong."

"No kidding," Daisy said, standing from her seat. "Excuse me guys, I'm gonna see what's up with her." With that, Daisy exited the room in pursuit of her best friend.

As Daisy entered the hallway, she quickly caught sight of Peach, who was walking away at a rather slow pace. Daisy hurried over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder, causing her to stop in her tracks. Daisy stood in front of her friend to look at her face. Peach appeared to be pale, as if she were sick. She also felt colder than normal, making Daisy feel concerned.

"What's wrong Peach?" Daisy asked worriedly. Peach gave her a pitiful look, making Daisy believe she was very sick. Peach soon spoke however, in a monotone voice.

"I...don't know..." Peach responded quietly. This only served to worry Daisy further as she racked her brain to think of something that may have happened to make Peach act this way. It was then that she remembered Peach's plan to take Cherry to dinner.

"What happened last night?" Daisy inquired. "Did Cherry do something to you?" she added, raising her voice a bit as she spoke. "If she did anything, I swear-"

"It's my fault Daisy," Peach whispered, looking directly into her eyes. Daisy settled down as Peach continued. "We never went to dinner last night... We went into Forever Forest."

"Forever Forest?" Daisy repeated. "Why would you two go in there?"

"We went to a secret area in there...and talked for a while..." Peach answered. "And then...she kissed me..."

"She WHAT!?" Daisy exclaimed, shocking several Toad guards nearby. Her face began to flush a hot red until Peach spoke again.

"I kissed her back Daisy..." Peach said, causing Daisy's flush to fade rapidly as she looked at Peach in astonishment.

"Peach..." Daisy said in something of a whiny voice. "How could you do something like that?"

"It just happened..." Peach muttered. Daisy groaned, looking away from her friend and shaking her head.

"I knew I should've stopped you from going," she quietly fumed. "You're just too trusting of people. And you know we have to tell Mario about this."

Peach didn't know what was going on. She knew she should feel terrible. She should be feeling guilt, regret, anxiety, all kinds of things. But not a single emotion presented itself. She simply couldn't feel at all. She didn't know what to do as Daisy looked at her again, expecting to see some kind of emotional tell to indicate that Peach understood just what she had done. But as she looked, Peach simply appeared blank.

"Are you okay Peach?" Daisy asked, furrowing her brow and putting a hand on her hip. "You look like this isn't affecting you at all."

"I don't know Daisy," Peach replied, continuing her monotone voice. "I know I should be scared or...anxious or something, but...I'm just not feeling anything... I don't know why..."

"Not even when you think about Mario?" Daisy said, folding her arms. She was starting to become suspicious. When Peach shook her head in response, Daisy didn't want to believe what she was thinking. "Don't tell me you actually want to leave him for this girl."

"No, I don't," Peach responded. "I would never leave Mario. I just...I can't feel anything. It's like something's taken away my emotions..."

Daisy was just as confused as Peach at this point, but she could feel that her patience was running short. It was hard enough for her to believe that her best friend went behind Mario's back, but hearing that she couldn't express any remorse at all after the fact gave her mixed feelings. Peach seemed like she understood the situation, but she honestly couldn't react the way she should. For now though, Daisy decided to give up.

"You should get some rest," Daisy suggested, unfolding her arms, but keeping a stern look. "I'll ask one of the attendants to look after you. And I'll come up to see you later."

Peach nodded. In truth, she could hardly sleep the previous night after what happened, and, maybe, getting some rest would help her get back to her normal self. Sleep already helped one time before. Maybe it would do the same again.

Daisy turned to head back for the dining room to finish her breakfast. Coincidently, one of the castle attendants crossed her path. Daisy stopped the Toad and asked her to escort Peach up to her bedroom and make sure she get some rest. The attendant nodded and soon headed for Peach.

"How are you today Your Majesty?" the attendant asked, hoping to strike some small talk as she took Peach up to her room. The two began to head on their way, walking down the rest of the hallway to a set of stairs leading to the upper level.

"I'm fine," Peach lied. Her inexpressive voice immediately told the attendant she wasn't being honest, but she held her tongue on the issue.

The journey to Peach's room was a silent one. The attendant couldn't help but feel uncomfortable as they went along. The princess never acted like this before. Her vibrant, cheerful demeanor was completely absent. It was odd.

Before lying down to rest, Peach made one request.

"If I'm not up again by the time the 'Magic Hour' begins, could you wake me please?" Peach asked, trying her hardest to sound polite as possible.

"Of course Princess," the attendant promised.

With that wish in mind, the attendant let Peach rest. Sitting at her bedside with a novel in hand, she watched for any more odd signs from the princess. Thankfully, she seemed fine in her slumber.

–

**_"You brought this upon yourself Princess,"_** King Boo laughed as he circled the helpless young woman. The dream realm in which he stalked those he possessed provided his cover of darkness as Peach simply stood, unknowing of what was going on. **_"You shouldn't have trusted her."_**

"Who are you?" Peach asked. King Boo slowly emerged from the darkness, sharing his evil smile, appropriate for the occasion. He was all too happy to have Peach in his company.

_**"King Boo, Your Highness,"**_ he said in an almost mocking tone as he bowed. **_"It's truly an honor to finally hold sway over your soul."_**

"King Boo...the one who kidnapped Mario...?"

_**"The very same,"**_ King Boo answered proudly. **_"My defeat at the hands of his lowly brother was a sour patch in my plans, but now, after I consume your soul, none shall stand in my way. I will be invincible."_**

"How did you get to my soul...?" Peach asked, remembering the doctor's words days ago. "The doctor said my spirit was too pure to be possessed..."

_**"And he was correct,"**_ King Boo confirmed. **_"But, thanks to that human puppet of mine, your spirit became corrupted. Your infatuation with her and your betrayal to your loved one created a void in your spirit. And the kiss that you returned last night was my doorway. Now, whether you live or die is at my discretion. I have already consumed your spirit, and most of your soul is gone. So tell me Princess, how does it feel to know that you are only living by a thread?"_**

When Peach remained silent, King Boo let out a shrill cackle, enjoying his morbid joke.

_**"I'm sorry Princess, I forgot you can't feel anything at all!" **_he laughed. King Boo calmed himself down over several seconds before he continued. **_"I hold nothing against you personally Princess," _**King Boo admitted. _**"This is purely business. Your soul is the key to unlocking my full potential as the king of all Boos, and it is the only thing in the world that can possibly make me even more powerful. To be truthful, I admire you. And with that said, I will allow you one request. Of course, it can't be to let your spirit and soul go free, but if you would like me to allow your life end at a certain time, I will oblige."**_

Peach took a moment to think about everything King Boo said, as well as his odd form of kindness. She was barely hanging on to life, and it was unlikely he would allow her to keep her soul for very long before losing his patience.

She thought about what she wanted to do with the time she had left. No matter what, she could no longer express emotion. Cherry disappeared some time ago, and Mario was away in Rogueport. And Daisy wasn't very likely to be willing to see her anytime soon. Some contemplation resulted in the one way she thought to die suitably under the conditions.

"Let me go...until the end of the 'Magic Hour'..." Peach requested. "After then...you can have my soul..."

_**"...As you wish,"**_ King Boo said, rather surprised at the answer. He expected some kind of plea to spare her life, or a wish that would somehow serve to bamboozle him. But the princess's request was straightforward, and would not even last until the end of the day. However, before he could retreat back into his shadows, Peach spoke up, bearing a question for him.

"King Boo...what is it that you plan to do once you have my soul?" Peach asked. "It can't be a request from Bowser. He would never go so far as to kill me. And you don't seem to be the type to simply want power for the sake of having power... So what are you aiming to do?"

_**"...You assume too much Princess," **_King Boo muttered, sinking back into the shadows. **_"All I strive for is power. It's everything I've ever wanted. And now, I'll finally have it."_** A moment of silence passed before King Boo spoke again. _**"I hope this 'Magic Hour' of yours is worth it."**_

Peach stood in silence. All she could do now was wait.

–

As promised, Peach's attendant woke her in the late afternoon when the sun began to set over the horizon. Peach made her way out to the gazebo in her garden to take in the sight of the colorful sky, hanging over the massive amount of well-tended flowers and the Toad workers who allowed themselves some time off to look up as well.

Peach thought about what could possibly be happening during this beautiful time.

A couple could be sharing their first kiss, reserved especially for this time. Another couple could probably be celebrating a tenth year of commitment.

A new life was probably coming into the world. And somewhere, a mother and father were probably saying goodbye to their grown child as they left home for their own new life.

Mario was probably giving his best performance possible on a stage in Rogueport. And an audience was probably cheering him on the whole way through.

Who could tell what happened during this most glorious of moments? But maybe nothing was happening at all.

Maybe, for this moment, the world was frozen as they fixated their gaze upward. Whether they were looking up at this afternoon sky, or the field of shimmering stars, or at a single cloud drifting through clear blue heavens. Maybe the entire world was focusing, just as she was, probably thinking her same thoughts.

Peach recalled the course of action that led to this moment. Had Daisy never insisted to go out on the town that night, this would not be happening. Had they left the seaside diner earlier, this would not be happening. Had Peach not heard that faint voice in the alley, this would not be happening. She couldn't blame others for this though. She knew that all of her troubles fell on her own shoulders.

It was her own fault that she gave in to Cherry's trickery. And it was her own fault that she couldn't remain faithful to Mario. She cast away her promises and her relationship for one tempting moment, one point in time that she focused her deepest affection towards one other than the man she truly loved. And now, because of her poor judgment during one small instance in time, she was to pay for it with her life.

Why couldn't she control her inhibitions? How did a smile and a walk dull her devotion to Mario so much that she willingly gave her heart to someone she's barely known for three days? As she thought about it, perhaps she deserved her punishment. Even if it was only for a moment, betrayal was betrayal.

She wondered how Mario would have reacted. What would he have said when he heard Peach kissed a woman while he was away? Knowing him, he probably would have forgiven her. Mario was always like that: lenient and optimistic. Even in the worst of situations, Mario never failed to show Peach just why she loved him so much.

Mario was such a great man. He could even be friendly with his worst enemies if they gave him a chance. Peach recalled Mario and Bowser being in each other's company many times without having some kind of conflict going on between them. The two even began to seem more like rivals as opposed to arch-enemies, and would occasionally celebrate with each other, even directly after facing off. Mario just had that ability to bring out the goodness in anyone. He was her much-needed beacon of brightness in her otherwise hectic life. He'd done so much for her over the course of their relationship. And she had the nerve to cast him away for someone she didn't even really know.

If only she could live to make amends.

Peach turned her gaze away from the sky and the flowers and closed her eyes. The sun was now completely set, and the sky was growing dark. She saw what she wanted to see and she thought about what she wanted to think about. She was ready to let King Boo take away her soul.

Soon, Peach could feel a lightness in her body, as if her heart were being lifted up into her throat. A short while later, a small hole of light appeared through the sapphire brooch on her chest. Through it, King Boo exited slowly, looking rather disturbed despite his constant smile. As his portal close, Peach fell limp, slumping over on the bench, her life having been stolen at last. Before floating off into the sky, King Boo glanced back at Peach's body. He simply looked at her for a moment, then disappeared into the night sky.

Peach was soon discovered by a gardener headed back to the castle as his shift ended, and she was rushed to the hospital immediately.

–

King Boo watched her as she was transported to the hospital. The initial discovery of Peach's body brought immediate distress upon the poor Toad that found her in the gazebo. He didn't appear to know what to do, simply shaking the princess over and over again. He just couldn't realize that she hadn't simply fallen unconscious or fell asleep. She was dead. Why couldn't that Toad just accept it?

It took a while for the Toad to realize that the princess wouldn't be getting back up. Soon, he gave news of the discovery to a fellow worker, who ran towards the castle, obviously off to find help. King Boo didn't understand the urgency of the situation. What was really so bad about being dead? Why was death so hard for people to accept?

As King Boo watched the scene, the princess's friend, Princess Daisy, and her steward, Toadsworth, rushed out to the gazebo. They too seemed unable to realize the reality of the situation. They sobbed and caused a commotion, attracting the attention of everyone nearby. Within minutes, Peach's death went from a silent affair to an event that nobody wanted to attend, but decided to go to anyway. If looking at the dead princess was such a grievance, why linger around? Tears would do nothing for the situation.

King Boo couldn't help but feel intrigued as he observed though. Everyone showed so much emotion for the princess, even though she was no longer with them. How was it possible to show such affection for the dead?

Peach's body was set onto a transportable table to be taken away to the hospital. King Boo followed as they moved her, remaining invisible high above them. While he was asking all these questions concerning their behavior, he began to wonder about himself. Why was he lingering, watching as these sad people made themselves subject to the source of their woe? He succeeded in his ultimate goal. He obtained the one thing he wanted ever since first becoming the king of the Boos. He was finally all-powerful now that he had Peach's soul. He could go on to do whatever he desired without consequence. So why wouldn't he?

The town was a simple mess as people observed their princess on that table. Toads erupted into fits of crying as their kids asked why the nice lady that lived in the castle wasn't moving.

Why isn't she walking on her own Daddy?

How come they're moving her on a table?

Why is everyone crying Mommy?

Those poor children didn't understand the concept of death, nor did they know Peach's high position in the society. Their parents couldn't bring themselves to answer, and the children soon found themselves embracing their mothers and fathers. The scene was an odd mix of unification and distress as Peach disappeared into the hospital. And as Peach disappeared, so too did King Boo.

He floated off towards Forever Forest, thinking of everything he'd seen and heard since being inside of Peach's body. The princess seemed like she was ready to give everything up after what she'd done, and King Boo was readily willing to take everything she had. But something in her soul seemed to affect him. He couldn't help but think that he'd made a terrible mistake.

What was King Boo's position among the Boos all around the world? He was already their king. He was already the most powerful Boo to ever exist. Every other Boo looked up to him as he was, but, for whatever reason, he felt that he still hadn't had enough power. Why?

With more power, what could he accomplish? Insurance that he would remain the strongest? What did that mean to a Boo? Strength certainly didn't pertain to survivability. How can that which is already dead be killed? Even exorcisms never destroyed Boos forever, it simply expelled them from the body.

So maybe strength meant sheer power? Sheer power meant nothing if it wasn't used wisely. So could strength be wisdom? Impossible; wisdom can only be obtained through experience. What in the world could strength truly be?

King Boo had an obligation to those who followed him. He had to remain a fair leader, a strong leader, and a wise leader. He already possessed all three of those traits before attacking Peach. Peach had an obligation to her people too. One no less important than King Boo's. It was then that the answer hit him.

Strength wasn't power at all. Strength came from the composition of character. It became clear why Peach was so mourned after death. King Boo didn't understand it at first, for he was surrounded by the dead constantly, and they seemed happy enough with the situation. But Peach defined herself in life through character. She became the strongest person in the world because she knew how to lead her people, and they looked up to and cherished her for that. She was kind and caring, always ruled with a level head, and never let her social standing mold her into something she wasn't. Having her position of power didn't make her strong. It was the purity of her soul that did.

King Boo began to wonder. Would his subjects react in a similar way? Would fellow Boos look up to him more if he had more power or if he strengthened his character? Sure, power could intimidate those weaker than you into doing your bidding, but those who respect you for your character will strive to try harder in the end.

As King Boo floated through the forest, he came to his conclusion. But first, he would have to track down the woman he possessed before. The woman he used to carry out his bidding.

The search didn't take long as King Boo found Cherry sitting within the Clearing of Illusion, or, as she knew it, the spot. She was gazing at the waterfall and the pool before her, sitting completely still as King Boo silently floated up next to her, making himself visible. Cherry nearly jumped out of her skin as she took notice of him floating next to her, but soon calmed herself down once she realized he was there for benevolent reasons.

King Boo turned to face Cherry and remained silent for a few moments. After a while however, a bright orb of pure light extracted itself from his body, floating in midair in front of Cherry, waiting for her to take hold of it.

_**"Take this to the princess,"**_ King Boo muttered, turning to face the pool. **_"I have no need for it."_**

"But...why?" Cherry said in astonishment as she took the orb into her hand. King Boo remained silent for a moment before speaking again.

_**"I wanted power to establish myself as the leader of the Boos,"**_ he explained. **_"But...watching the princess, I learned that I don't need power to do that. So take that back to her."_**

Cherry didn't quite understand what made King Boo change his mind so suddenly, but she nodded and soon left to head for the town and track down Peach. King Boo disappeared seconds after her departure.

–

Cherry moved as fast as she could through the forest. She was ecstatic to be able to help Peach after all that she put her through. Delivering Peach's soul would undo the process of her death and resurrect her. And Cherry could finally apologize and explain everything.

However, upon reaching the town, Cherry realized that King Boo didn't tell her where Peach would be. She decided to take a chance and headed for the castle. Fortunately, along the way, she witnessed the gathering of just about all of Toad Town outside of the hospital. Everyone was asking the same questions, all of which centered around Princess Peach. Cherry had to break through that crowd and get inside if she hoped to save her.

Pushing and shoving, throwing out the occasional "Excuse me!" and "Sorry!", Cherry made her way through the mob slowly. Reaching the front door however, she was met with a pair of royal guards in charge of blocking the path inside. She approached them and they stopped her where she stood.

"Unless you're gravely injured, please, refrain from approaching the doorway!" one of the guards commanded. At this, Cherry held up the orb with both hands, catching the guard's intrigue.

"Please, I have to get this to Her Highness," Cherry explained as the guard observed the orb. "It'll help her, I promise." The guard appeared to refrain from speaking again for a while before he nodded.

"If it can help the situation, I'll let you pass," the guard said as he stepped aside. Cherry quickly thanked him before rushing into the hallways of the hospital. The people within seemed almost as distressed as everyone that was forced to stay outside. Doctors and nurses rushed all over, trying to calm down their patients as they forgot about their own ailments and tried to get to Peach's room. Cherry approached one of the doctors to ask which room Peach was being kept in.

"Please ma'am, just take a seat and I'll be with you shortly," the Toad doctor said hurriedly through panting breaths.

"I need to know immediately sir," Cherry said urgently. "I have something that will help the princess. I just need to know where she is."

"Look, if it's a Life Shroom or something of the like, it's not going to work," the doctor retorted impatiently. "Unless you have the princess's soul, there's nothing-"

"This is her soul right here," Cherry said, showing the doctor the orb in her hand. The doctor could only stare at it for a moment, unable to believe what he saw.

"How do you have her-"

"Just tell me where she is so I can return it to her," Cherry pleaded. The doctor quickly discarded his wonder about how Cherry obtained Peach's soul and pointed her down a hallway to a door in the very back on the right. Cherry thanked him for the information rushed to the destination. Upon entering the room however, she was not met with a welcome greeting.

Her presence became immediately recognized by everyone within the room: the Toad doctor, Luigi, Toadsworth, and Daisy, all gathered around Peach's body. The men in the room were surprised as Daisy stood from her chair at Peach's bedside, glaring at Cherry with malice in her teary eyes.

"What did you do to her?" she growled through gritted teeth. Cherry recoiled slightly, taking a small step backward, fearful of what Daisy might do to her. She couldn't deny the truth however, and apologized immediately.

"I'm sorry," Cherry said with a small voice. "This is all my fault..."

That statement was as good as her death sentence as Daisy began to lunge forward at her, only to be barely restrained by Luigi, who locked his arms around hers from behind to keep her from going any further.

"What did you do to her!?" Daisy yelled, her voice seething with anger. "It was bad enough that you were ruining her life, you had to go and take it away from her too!?"

"I'm sorry," Cherry repeated, her voice growing even smaller. "I'll explain later...but...I came here with this." She held up the orb for everyone to see and risked taking a step toward Peach, which brought her a bit closer to Daisy as well. "This is her soul... It was taken away by King Boo, but he wanted to give it back to her, so he sent me to do it."

"King Boo did this?" the doctor asked as he approached Cherry, observing Peach's soul in her hand. "But how? It should have been impossible for any Boo to enter Peach's body. Her spirit was too pure."

"I seduced Peach..." Cherry admitted. "I made a dark spot in her spirit so King Boo could enter and take her soul. Otherwise, he was going to kill me..." A moment of silence passed as everyone took the message in and Daisy calmed herself down a little.

"So you were blackmailed into doing it?" Daisy asked, prompting a nod from Cherry.

"I didn't want to do it but...I didn't want to die either..." Cherry said, ashamed. "This should change things though. If we give her back her soul, she'll be alive."

"Then let's get to it," Toadsworth spoke up. Everyone silently agreed to the statement and Cherry soon approached Peach's bedside. She held the orb up over Peach's chest and gently placed it on the sapphire brooch. Seeing the orb was absorbing into her body, Cherry let it go, allowing it to disappear within Peach's chest. She stood back and everyone watched and waiting, hoping the procedure would work.

One minute passed.

Then another.

And another after that. Nothing appeared to happen.

Everyone was beginning to lose hope, until Peach made the slightest stirring movement. Everyone's hearts jumped as they could visibly see the color returning to Peach's skin. She stirred more and more, and let out a small groan as she stretched. It worked. Peach's soul was back within her body and she was among her friends once again.

Daisy and Luigi smiled brightly as Toadsworth sobbed, overwhelmed with joy to have the princess back. She cracked her eyes open and let them focus for a little while before sitting up and looking around. She appeared to be surprised once she found herself in a hospital bed with all these people gathered around, smiling at her.

"What's going on?" she asked as she looked around at everyone. She found Toadsworth sobbing and her eyes widened. "Toadsworth, what's wrong?"

"I'm just...overjoyed to have you with us princess," Toadsworth said as he turned away to wipe his tears. Peach smiled at the comment, but didn't appear to have a clue about what was going on.

"Did something happen?" she asked.

"Cherry brought your soul back Peach," Luigi explained.

"I'm sorry, but I don't know what you're talking about," Peach said confusedly. She looked around the room and tilted her head slightly. "Who's Cherry?"

"She's right..." Luigi began, looking to the spot where Cherry previously stood. She was gone however, having silently left the room at some point. This only served to confuse Peach further.

"Did I collapse or something?" Peach asked. "The last thing I remember, I was leaving the seaside diner. Did something happen to me on the way back to the castle?"

Before returning Peach's soul to her, King Boo erased everything that happened within the past few days that lingered in her spirit. He did this in honor of her, erasing the only dark spot that tainted her otherwise pure spirit. As a result, Peach did not remember anything that happened after finding Cherry.

Presented with amnesia of recent events, Daisy decided it would be best not to tell her about everything that happened. She would explain exactly what was going on to Luigi later, but, for now, everyone rejoiced as the Peach they knew and loved returned to them.

–

Cherry returned to the Clearing of Illusion after her mission was over. She was glad to be able to help, but, as she walked, her excitement dulled down as she remembered she really had no place to go, no place to call home. The Clearing of Illusion was the closest thing she had to that, but she felt it wasn't enough for her as she pushed by the final branch leading into the area.

She kept her gaze low as she continued forward, and, curious about how the pool and the waterfall would act now, she looked upward. She froze in her tracks however, as she found the usual sight to be gone. In it's place stood two rows of varying flowers, creating a path leading to a rather large house resting underneath the colorful sky as the perpetual "Magic Hour" prevailed over the area.

A few Toads walked here and there, tossing a greeting to Cherry as they passed by. They all smiled, sharing conversation amongst each other as Cherry stepped forward, gazing up at the house. As she neared it, a female Toad emerged from the doorway, smiling up at Cherry brightly.

"Welcome home Madame Cherry," she greeted. Cherry gazed down at her, her mouth hanging slightly open.

"What is this place...?" Cherry asked.

"This is where you belong," the Toad said happily, taking Cherry's hand as she led her into the house. "Let me show you around..."

As Cherry stepped into the house, the door closed behind her, and the Toads all stopped and gazed up at the sky at once. Serene smiles occupied their faces as their bodies faded away into nothingness.

Once the Toads were gone, a portrait appeared above the door into the house. Within the frame rested King Boo, giving his trademark smile as the "Magic Hour" faded into a night sky. His laugh permeated the air as the house disappeared, being replaced by the pool and waterfall once it was completely gone.

_**"You have a home now. And I will make sure nobody else discovers it. It's the least I can do to repay you for your woes and for introducing me to the lovely Princess Peach."**_


End file.
